Open Your Eyes
Hamlin, IA
2019, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Making an imprint, in nature’s beauty,
Stepping, harder, deeper,
Pushing the creatures, all the way down.
Bleeding blue, hurting harsh,
Higher, faster, deeper,
Fill the fields, fill the lungs.
What is the reason?
Mother asks,
At all this expense?
Quick apologies, soon forgotten,
Stand up for the blue,
Until your legs grow tired.
Close your eyes, ignore the waves,
But ignorance will bleed,
Red into the blue, violet like a bruise.
A cry, a shout, a whale,
You do not hear,
Drive faster, drown out the screams.
You will regret this,
Mother growls in agony,
Irony will commence.
Seeping into the drink, grow red,
Our mistake is part of the ocean now,
Flood lines rise higher, faster, deeper.
Here she lies
Obituary statements, funeral of the future,
The late, great, Mother Earth.
Thick boots keep walking, stomp on,
Stamping footprints on the ocean floor,
Blind child, a call, stop walking.
The footprints grow, cover the planet,
Water oozes up with each step
Sloshing the blood of an unknown ally.
Open your eyes, before it’s too late.
Reflection
“Open Your Eyes” is a piece about how our growing carbon footprint affects the oceans. The footprint is symbolized as humanity directly walking on Mother Earth and slowly killing her; the ocean represents her blood and hardship. The more we harm her, the more she bleeds. Eventually, it comes back to harm us in return. I created this poem because I feel that many people are unaware of how much their carbon footprint can harm the world, and in this case, the oceans specifically. I thought about all of the things I do in my daily life that make my footprint grow. Upon reflection, I realized that I do not want to leave a legacy in the form of being a catalyst for climate change. After taking part in this project, I see that I must cut down on unnecessary things. Change can come in easy ways, like carpooling, turning off lights, taking the bus, and using the air conditioner and furnace less. You do not have to close your eyes to uncomfortable issues. The reason these matters disturb us is because we see that we are a part of it; climate change affecting the ocean is just one of those problems. Open your eyes and take a stand.